<h6 style="text-align: right;"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Safana, Calimport Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Safana, Calimport Cutthroat</a> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CWisnu+Tan%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisnu Tan</a></h6>
Hello, and welcome to Am I the Bolas? This column is for all of you out there who have ever played some Magic and wondered if you were the bad guy. I'm here to take in your story with all of its nuances so I can bring some clarity to all those asking, "Am I the Bolas?"
I'm ready to hear you out and offer advice. All you have to do is email amithebolas@gmail.com with your story, a pseudonym you want to use, and of course, only include details you don't mind in the column! You might see your story below one day. You might even hear it on the podcast. Which podcast?
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-25893" src="https://commandersherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/bolcast_logo430x430-300x300.png" alt="" width="249" height="249" />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@AmITheBolcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THIS PODCAST!</a>
I'm Mike Carrozza, aka Mark Carbonza, and it seems like my real name got out...
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gladiolus Amicitia"></div></div>
WHO TOLD!?!?!
This week, do you stop playing your slow deck your playgroup dislikes?
(Post edited for brevity, clarity, and then some.)
<hr />
<h2>HEY, MIKE</h2>
First, thank you for the Am I the Bolas? series, I learned a lot over time just being exposed to new problems and new cards and being more aware of potential pitfalls at the table. Now, I have a problem of my own - maybe you have some advice.
Among my Commander decks (way too many at this point... ) is one I rarely dare to pick up anymore, and that is my <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Safana, Calimport Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Safana, Calimport Cutthroat</a> / <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dungeon Delver" href="#" target="_blank">Dungeon Delver</a> deck. I once played in an Adventures in the Forgotten Realms draft game where we had tons of fun messing around in the dungeons, and when the Baldur's Gate set dropped I immediately fell in love with Safana. Also, as a regular green player, I really wanted to build a Dimir deck for once.
The majority of the deck is very much the stuff you also see on EDHREC, but I've added a few more treasure token generators and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Revel in Riches" href="#" target="_blank">Revel in Riches</a> as a secondary win condition. No tutors, though. There's also a trickery subtheme with cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Trickster-God&#039;s Heist" href="#" target="_blank">The Trickster-God&#039;s Heist</a> or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ertai&#039;s Meddling" href="#" target="_blank">Ertai&#039;s Meddling</a> or one of the bigger hitters being <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sower of Discord" href="#" target="_blank">Sower of Discord</a>.
The problem is that the deck takes too long to do its thing in the eyes of the table and people are visibly annoyed when I pull it out. And I get that, in principle. Having to look up what each card does when you advance two or more rooms in the dungeon each turn, with trigger doublers galore, isn't super fun as an observer when it doesn't impact the rest of the table. I've tried to smooth the process as much as possible, played tons of test games, learned the ins and outs of all my cards to not get stuck looking up stuff on Scryfall. Still, not exactly fast gameplay compared to a green stompy deck where you ramp and trample in like five seconds.
But it's not like I'm the only one having to go through a bunch of triggers when playing my deck. My pod is super casual, Commander isn't the main hobby for any of us, so people regularly ask rules questions or have to math their boards state for a minute. Yet, whenever I want to play Safana, eyes are being rolled. I asked if the deck was being maybe perceived as too unfair/powerful/something and if I should rebuild it, but apparently it's just too slow, which I think is patently untrue within our pod's meta.
Am I the Bolas for wanting to continue playing Safana?
- Arne
<div dir="auto"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dungeon Delver"></div></div></div>
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<h2>HOWDY, RAVEN!</h2>
Thank you for writing and asking me to weigh in on your story. As I mention every week, if folks don't write to me, there's no column, so if you, the reader, want to send me a story, whether it's your own or one from Reddit or a friend's, please send it to amithebolas@gmail.com and I'll get to it here.
Let me begin by admitting a little bias: I love <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Safana, Calimport Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Safana, Calimport Cutthroat</a>. I think the handful of legends that care about the initiative without granting you the initiative were neat design space in the Baldur's Gate set. I've drafted that set a decent amount and also built Safana once, but with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Street Urchin" href="#" target="_blank">Street Urchin</a>. I really think that set is so much fun and recommend everybody draft it at least once.
I will say that I have a difficult time understanding where the bottleneck is here. I'm not sure the trickery subtheme is the culprit. Is it needing to look something up on Scryfall? Is that something a dungeon or The Undercity? If you're looking up what each dungeon does while you play your deck, I would also get a little tired of seeing you pull out your phone and look up something you probably should know, only to put the phone away and do it again the next time you venture. If this is the case, I highly recommend you purchase the tokens for the dungeons and copies of The Initiative / The Undercity. You'll cut down on time and confusion there for sure.
For what it's worth, something I've been doing a lot lately is adding five copies of The Initiative / The Undercity to the Quiver I use for the accessories I need for the game - Life counters, Infinitokens, markers, too many dice, and of course, a package of tokens that come up all the time (e.g., Treasure, Clue, etc.). I love the initiative and I'm a big fan of the cards that bring it along!
That said, if your opponents are just upset you're in the tank, that's a bummer. Everybody gets to go in the tank! It's <a href="https://commandersherald.com/solitaired-study-declares-magic-worlds-most-complex-tabletop-game/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the most complex games</a>, even when you're just goldfishing a deck - now add three other decks trying to disrupt and tussle; it's not easy! I think there's an element of perception to the types of slower play. Because you're likely going through multiple chains of small triggers, it seems like you're doing many things in a short time and it feels like you're taking a long turn. Whereas an opponent trying to figure out an attack to find the win can take the same amount of time, but because it's one crucial action, it seems like less so.
If your playgroup doesn't enjoy playing against it and you've surveyed them for ways to improve the experience to no avail, then I reckon it's a deck that doesn't get played much. That's a bummer! If you have another outlet for games, like an LGS or a Discord for Spelltable games, maybe scratch the Safana/Delver itch there and spare your playgroup the long game. But otherwise, if they'll keep allowing it and you do enjoy the deck, then keep trying to find a way to make it work for everybody. Come prepared, goldfish the deck, and make sure that your actions aren't just wheel-spinning. Have a win-con or two you can get to when your opponents start whining.
You want to keep playing this deck and that does not make you the Bolas. Keep asking your friends and make sure they're aware they can say no. If people don't want to play against this one, drop me another line and I'd love to play against it.
Not the Bolas. If you force the issue when folks say no, then you'll cross that line. But not the Bolas!
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Safana, Calimport Cutthroat"></div></div>

Am I The Bolas? - Playing a Trigger Intensive Deck

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mr. House, President and CEO" href="#" target="_blank">Mr. House, President and CEO</a> Illustrated by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CJoseph+Meehan%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Joseph Meehan</a></h6>
<hr />
<h1>I HAVE SOME NEWS</h1>
Before we move ahead with the latest Am I The Bolas? article you're here for, I have some news.
You may have noticed that a couple of weeks ago, AITB was on Commander's Herald and EDHREC on the same day.
That's because Am I The Bolas? is moving to EDHREC from now on! In fact, that was supposed to be the day we made the announcement, but this one is the official real deal.
Commander's Herald will always be the site that took a chance on a little ding dong from Canada and allowed me to give you my takes on stories every week.
I hope you continue to support Commander's Herald and you follow me over here at EDHREC to keep reading.
This does mean that the archives of <a href="https://commandersherald.com/author/mike-carrozza/">past articles are over on Commander's Herald</a>, and things will look a little sparse for me over at EDHREC, but with time, that'll grow, and the folks who enthusiastically write in, discovering the column will still have a way to dive into the back catalogue, too.
I appreciate you all. Thank you so much. Let's get into it!
<hr />
Hello, and welcome to Am I the Bolas?
This column is for all of you out there who have ever played some Magic and wondered if you were the bad guy.
I'm here to take in your story with all of its nuances so I can bring some clarity to all those asking, "Am I the Bolas?"
I'm ready to hear you out and offer advice. All you have to do is email amithebolas@gmail.com with your story, a pseudonym you want to use, and of course, only include details you don't mind in the column!
You might see your story below one day. You might even hear it on the podcast. Which podcast?
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-25893" src="https://commandersherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/bolcast_logo430x430-300x300.png" alt="" width="249" height="249" />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@AmITheBolcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THIS PODCAST!</a>
I'm Mike Carrozza, aka Mark Carbonza, and it's time to say welcome to the team full time, Mikey!
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warm Welcome"></div></div>
I promise to make less fart jokes (I made a lot, and "less" means still making some here and there).
This week, the house has spoken.
(Post edited for brevity, clarity, and then some.)
<hr />
<h2>HELLO, MIKE</h2>
<div dir="auto">
Hello,
I have joined a Commander playgroup, rounding out the group of four, being invited by a friend from work. While I've known the work friend for several years before joining, the three have been friends since high school. We are all now in our mid-to-late 30s to give you an idea of how long I'm talking.
The group has been super welcoming and a great time. The elephant in the room is that I played Magic in middle school, a few times in Arena, and a couple of times during Christmas at work with the friend coworker. They have all been playing for nearly two decades.
Again, the group has treated me well, pointing me to helpful precons, giving me leniency in games, and also treating me as the threat when warranted.
Getting to the meat of things: the group has some house-banned commanders from some tense spats in the past. One of these commanders fits me like a glove in terms of playstyle, color arrangement, and even just creature theme and art.
 Would I be the Bolas if I were to inquire about being an exception to the ban rule? With the understanding that I probably won't know how to build/play to the same level of table flipping frustration, am I just poking at old wounds?
I'd rather leave out which commander it is if we can.
Signed, 
Newbie
</div>
<div dir="auto">
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mr. House, President and CEO"></div></div>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>HOWDY, NEWBIE!</h2>
Thank you for writing and asking me to weigh in on your story. As I mention every week, if folks don't write to me, there's no column, so if you, the reader, want to send me a story, whether it's your own or one from Reddit or a friend's, please send it to amithebolas@gmail.com and I'll get to it here.
I love this submission. There are so many interesting pieces to this that makes me pretty stoked to get into it.
First, I want to say a big "hell yeah, that rules" about joining a playgroup of folks who've welcomed you so much and treat you in a way you appreciate. That's awesome, and I wish this for everybody looking to join a playgroup. It's a beautiful thing!
Secondly, I think the line you're walking in this group is a difficult one to tow. As the new guy, you've got to adapt to their rules and determine how you like it while also being careful not to overstep or change things up too much as to avoid the possibility of not being invited back, etc.
I think the way they've taken you in tells me that you'll be alright altogether.
Finally, I think your desire to play a commander that is house-banned is definitely fair. You weren't around for the banning and don't know exactly what caused it.
I believe it should be fine for you to inquire about their reasoning, but be prepared to be met with the possibility of not being encouraged to build that deck.
To the readers, I should probably tell you that Newbie has asked me not to include the legendary creature in question, but they have disclosed it to me.
To give you an idea, it's a commander that I would also kind of sigh at if I saw it in the command zone, but I wouldn't be rushing to push it off my table. It's definitely a difficult creature to deal with, and for experienced players to be upset at the sight of it, I should say I don't think they're totally overreacting by banning it.
As Commander players, I'd say it's pretty likely that we came to the format long after the banned cards list was established. When you get into the format and see that <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Griselbrand" href="#" target="_blank">Griselbrand</a> is banned, I would hope your first instinct isn't to say "hey, I want to play that card" and try to get away with it in your deck. You play by the rules, right?
In this case, there are some extra rules. This playgroup has seen some things they'd rather avoid in the future.
It's fair to question why it's banned and to ask if you could potentially build it, but a card like that (again, sorry I can't give you all the information, readers) even being <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clone" href="#" target="_blank">Clone</a>d is brutal and could still cause issues at the table again.
It's not a banned commander in the game overall, so if you wanted to put together the deck and have it for when you find yourself at an LGS or playing with other people, nobody can stop you there.
However, in this playgroup, you'll need to run it by them and be ready for a negative response.
You are new, and they've given you a lot of grace, though I don't think they're likely to bend here. I could be wrong, though!
You are not the Bolas for wanting to ask. You would be if you showed up with the deck built and ready to go at the group's table.
Okay...warning....
&nbsp;
I will tell you who the creature is.
&nbsp;
It's....
&nbsp;
.....
&nbsp;
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hunding Gjornersen"></div></div>
&nbsp;
Did you really think I'd betray Newbie's trust?
&nbsp;
Thanks for reading!

Am I The Bolas? - House Banned Commander

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serum Powder" href="#" target="_blank">Serum Powder</a> Illustrated by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CMatt+Thompson%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Matt Thompson</a></h6>
<hr />
Hello, and welcome to Am I the Bolas?
This column is for all of you out there who have ever played some Magic and wondered if you were the bad guy. I'm here to take in your story with all of its nuances so I can bring some clarity to all those asking, "Am I the Bolas?"
I'm ready to hear you out and offer advice. All you have to do is email amithebolas@gmail.com with your story, a pseudonym you want to use, and of course, only include details you don't mind in the column! You might see your story below one day. You might even hear it on the podcast. Which podcast?
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-25893" src="https://commandersherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/bolcast_logo430x430-300x300.png" alt="" width="249" height="249" />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@AmITheBolcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THIS PODCAST!</a>
I'm Mike Carrozza and I'm making a smoothie!
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dracogenesis"></div></div>
I've got a big ol' blender!
This week, eh, let's pick another one.
(Post edited for brevity, clarity, and then some.)
<hr />
<h2>HELLO, MIKE</h2>
Hey, Mike!
Love your column and think I might finally have a good one of my own.
For context we have a regular weekly playgroup, usually between seven and twelve of us with a variety of decks hovering around the "optimized casual" zone. Players range from relative newbies to Magic veterans, but we're all fairly invested/entrenched.
Recently The Command Zone had an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSNV6224cHg&amp;pp=0gcJCdgAo7VqN5tD">episode about updating their deck-building template</a>, fairly basic stuff but the land count section was very interesting. The point was made that even with lax mulligan house rules, it's a strategic disadvantage to play too few lands because you could be mulliganing for other things than just enough lands like ramp or synergy pieces. 
I started the conversation with our group and it quickly came around to - 
1) Several players in our group realized they should be playing a few more lands 
2) Our mulligans might be a bit too lax or leading to some feelings that folks might be taking advantage
Essentially folks tend to take any number for free mulligans until they have a decent opener. 
After pointing out at least one specific person for this behavior, I decided to push for using the actual mulligan rules going forward. Unfortunately, I think I might have ruffled a few feathers, but I also don't want to ruin the "EDH and chill" vibe we usually try to go for.
Is it fair to be a bit peeved that some folks might be getting away with better late game top decks by playing less lands and taking advantage of our easy-going mull rules, even if unintentionally? Or am I the Bolas for trying to tighten up our group's play and get folks to follow the actual rules even if it might sometimes lead to more non-games occasionally?
Thanks!
Mulligary
<div dir="auto"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Serum Powder"></div></div></div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
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<h2>HOWDY, MULLIGARY!</h2>
Thank you for writing and asking me to weigh in on your story. As I mention every week, if folks don't write to me, there's no column, so if you, the reader, want to send me a story, whether it's your own or one from Reddit or a friend's, please send it to amithebolas@gmail.com and I'll get to it here.
Also, what do you think of this new look? Here I am on EDHREC! Pretty cool!
I linked to the episode of The Command Zone video - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSNV6224cHg&amp;pp=0gcJCdgAo7VqN5tD">here it is again</a> - because I think they're correct. I've known Rachel a long time and frankly, when she says something I listen. I say Rachel even though it's the CZ team that made the video because Rachel is very adamant throughout the video to the point of feeling like she's trying to reach through your screen to tell you to please play more lands.
So, even as a staunch believer in the 36-land count, I've made changes to most of my decks from my current roster, bringing them up to 37 or 38 lands and, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/tifu/comments/2tdbig/tifu_by_enraging_the_parents_of_my_girlfriend_by/">let me tell you</a>, it has made a difference. Is that confirmation bias talking? I can't be 100% sure, but I'll say that some decks that struggled are no longer struggling as much and that's good enough for me. So a big thank you to The Command Zone for the updated template.
I think this is an oddly more complicated entry in the Am I The Bolas? series. It seems pretty straightforward, right? "Hey, these are the rules, let's play by the rules." Sounds good, yeah? But instead, there's a twinge of mucking up "the fun".
On one hand, we're playing a game that has rules, we should play with those rules because that's just how you play games. You learn the rules and you operate within them to have your fun. House rules are a real wrench in the system and it should be noted that we're discussing an entire format that came from "house rules". I'm not saying it's time to try out a bunch of house rules, but rather that they can lead to interesting innovations in the game.
That said, I've never loved the "mulligan until you have a keepable seven" thing. Some house rules are interesting in that they allow for some newness in the game, like allowing any planeswalker to be your commander (like in Oathbreaker) or allowing some rule zero changes in the playgroup like allowing a deck helmed by an acorn Unfinity legend. Mulligan until you have a keepable seven does have an impact on deckbuilding, consciously or subconsciously.
When my old playgroup allowed mulling until finding a good seven, we got to a point where some players were running 32 or 33 lands and the pregame was just a lot of shuffling and waiting for one of us to be ready while the rest were good to go.
I think there's room for leeway. I think the mulligan rules in Commander can be particularly brutal since for every turn you take, your opponents collectively get three. So if you're also starting with four cards in hand, good luck! I think there should be some sort of penalty for needing to mulligan so much. Then there's the whole fun police element of enforcing the mulligan rules that come into play here. The real hurdle.
If you proposing that the group adhere to the rules didn't ruffle so many feathers, there wouldn't really be much of a story here. Just a good conversation, solid argument, your desired outcome. It's because members of your group are attached to the Keepable Seven Mulligan that your request is creating tension. Why does it create that tension though? EDH is a social format that ends up being more about the hang for some folks and the lax rules and environment are part of the point and the experience. For some people, tightening up is part of the fun.
Another thing I'd like to point out is that mulligans in one-on-one formats can make or break those games. In Commander, in a more relaxed environment, less so. Of course, if two players mull to five and two others have a full grip, with more players involved, you would hope that there are safeguards within the dynamic of the pod that would regulate itself. Although, my column is evidence enough that threat assessment isn't something everybody is great at.
So here's what I propose. There are 12 of you in the group, maybe there's something to discussing this per pod and seeing how people feel. Ask them to do it for a game and see if they notice a difference. Or you could try to come up with a mulligan you can all be on board with. Maybe it's regular mulligan rules but you can't go under five and then do a Keepable Five Mulligan. Maybe another thing that works for your playgroup.
How do you find that out? Have the conversation with everybody. If this is something that's stuck in your craw, discuss it with the crew. Otherwise, I recommend leading by example. Take those mulligans to four. Play through them. Show your opponents that you're committed. Make your case about how the Keepable Seven Mull is like a reward for poor deckbuilding.
Not the Bolas. It's totally fair to want to play by the rules.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wheel and Deal"></div></div>

Am I The Bolas? - Enforcing the Mulligan Rules

The Lord of The Rings Commander Cards Review - Instants and Sorceries

Streets of New Capenna Set Review - Riveteers and Red

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thalisse, Reverent Medium" href="#" target="_blank">Thalisse, Reverent Medium</a> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CHeonhwa+Choe%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" data-track="{&quot;category&quot;:&quot;Card Detail&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:&quot;Navigate&quot;,&quot;label&quot;:&quot;Artist&quot;}">Heonhwa Choe</a>)</h6>
<h1>Surprise, it's Mikey!</h1>
Welcome to Challenge the Stats! This series is based on the awesome <a href="https://edhrecast.libsyn.com/">EDHRECast</a> segment where we pick out cards that we think are overplayed, underplayed, or sleepers to challenge EDHREC’s data. But remember, these are merely comments on the data, and card choices made by you, the deckbrewer, for any reason such as flavor, budget, art, or fun are always most important and are what keep our format unique and awesome.
I’m <a href="https://commandersherald.com/author/mike-carrozza/">Mike Carrozza, aka Mark Carbonza of Commander’s Herald</a>, author of Am I The Bolas?, the column where you - yes, you! - write in and ask me to weigh in on your Magic-related situations and determine if you're the villain or if someone else is! I’m taking over good ol’ sweetiepie <a href="https://twitter.com/jevinmtg">Jevin Lortie</a>’s incredible column Challenge the Stats in an old-fashioned SWITCHEROO!
<a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/o7OBehYZ.jpg-large.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-82181 aligncenter" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/o7OBehYZ.jpg-large-214x300.jpeg" alt="" width="214" height="300" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/o7OBehYZ.jpg-large-214x300.jpeg 214w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/o7OBehYZ.jpg-large-732x1024.jpeg 732w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/o7OBehYZ.jpg-large-768x1075.jpeg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/o7OBehYZ.jpg-large-1097x1536.jpeg 1097w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/o7OBehYZ.jpg-large.jpeg 1463w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px" /></a>
Shout out to <a href="https://twitter.com/ImKyle4815">Kyle Burton on Twitter</a> for this gorgeous alt. 
Kyle does excellent work!
This week, we’re challenging <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thalisse, Reverent Medium" href="#" target="_blank">Thalisse, Reverent Medium</a>, one of my favorite commanders in the last few years. Sure, it seems win-more to make tokens when you’ve already made tokens, but whatever! Have fun!
We’re challenging the data from all 1,117 Thalisse decks at the time of writing, and you can see how often those cards are played in parentheses (%). We might not see future Thalisse all-star <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undercity Scrounger" href="#" target="_blank">Undercity Scrounger</a> in the data just yet, but perhaps we will eventually. Here we go!
<hr />
<h2>LET'S (and I can't believe I get to say this) CHALLENGE SOME STATS!</h2>
<hr />
<h3>Overplayed</h3>
<hr />
1. Mortify (39%)
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mortify"></div></div>
Let’s get an obvious one out of the way. We’re in Orzhov, baby! Things have come a long, long way. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Despark" href="#" target="_blank">Despark</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Gift" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Gift</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anguished Unmaking" href="#" target="_blank">Anguished Unmaking</a> show up on <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thalisse, Reverent Medium" href="#" target="_blank">Thalisse, Reverent Medium</a>’s page for good reason. 
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mortify" href="#" target="_blank">Mortify</a> feels difficult to justify. The aforementioned cards hit a higher diversity of targets, sometimes even exiling. Heck, even the drawback on <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Gift" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Gift</a> can be unintended value if we need to target one of our lands late game at an end step before untapping to swing with an extra 3/3 and a 1/1 flying Spirit token if our commander is out.
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mortify" href="#" target="_blank">Mortify</a> is multi-colored, does not exile, and does not target artifacts, planeswalkers, or lands. When considering our spot removal, this should be lower, in my opinion.
2. Dramatic Finale (33%) 
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dramatic Finale"></div></div>
Believe me, I want <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dramatic Finale" href="#" target="_blank">Dramatic Finale</a> to be really good here. 
An anthem that only buffs tokens for four colored pips that nets us a 3/2 flyer if a nontoken creature we control dies, but only triggers once per turn has a lot more speed bumps than utility for my taste. 
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thalisse, Reverent Medium" href="#" target="_blank">Thalisse, Reverent Medium</a> isn’t Rakdos. We’re not doing the graveyard-<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cauldron Dance" href="#" target="_blank">Cauldron Dance</a>-type shenanigans or resurrecting creature cards a ton here. Thalisse makes tokens that either swing or get used as resources. The nontoken rider here particularly stinks for Thalisse decks. Sure, I can get on board with an anthem for tokens that also makes tokens, but man, if it triggered multiple times a turn per nontoken creature, or triggered once a turn no matter if the creature were a token or not, I would say 33% inclusion would make sense. Here, I see this as a flavor pick, a pet card, or somebody really needs Devotion for a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx" href="#" target="_blank">Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx</a>. I mean, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Field of Souls" href="#" target="_blank">Field of Souls</a> is right there! Oh, man, I just remembered that we only get a single buffed 2/1 flyer after a board wipe if we controlled a nontoken creature, and even if we had a bunch of them. This one gets me riled up!
3. Geist-Honored Monk (19%)
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Geist-Honored Monk"></div></div>
The Monk enters the battlefield, then makes two tokens. With our commander out, that means four tokens total! But then this thing just sits there like a big beat stick with vigilance. 
I can see the reasoning, but I don’t think it’s strong. At one more mana, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grave Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Grave Titan</a> gets us two 2/2 Zombies when it ETBs and attacks, and that's great even without Thalisse in play, and super spicy when she is! In a deck where the token creation is most valuable, I can understand wanting a payoff that isn’t a swarm, but this Monk gets chump blocked for days, and heaven forbid an opponent has a deathtoucher on board to block it. 
<hr />
<h2>Underplayed</h2>
<hr />
4. Spirit Bonds (16%)
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spirit Bonds"></div></div>
Here’s a shocker: all of my picks for 'Underplayed' are about protecting our commander and other key creatures. This card just happens to allow us to make a token when we cast our nontoken pals. This card comes down early, is innocuous enough, and sometimes a single activation can be enough to swing things in our favor. Even just the threat of activation could be enough! I see this card in 16% of decks and fully believe it should be higher up. It’s on-theme, it’s protection, and it generates tokens. What more could you want?
5. Malakir Rebirth / Malakir Mire (10%)
<div class="edhrecp__cards side-by-side"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malakir Rebirth"></div></div>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Malakir Rebirth" href="#" target="_blank">Malakir Rebirth</a> deserves a slot in every black deck, full stop. No matter the deck, you’ve always got at least one creature worth protecting in the command zone. If there’s nothing worth protecting, then boom, land drop. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thalisse, Reverent Medium" href="#" target="_blank">Thalisse, Reverent Medium</a> is important to keep around, but if not her, maybe that <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grim Hireling" href="#" target="_blank">Grim Hireling</a> deserves a save. Maybe we sacrifice our <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grave Titan" href="#" target="_blank">Grave Titan</a> in response to removal after hitting it with Rebirth and - what do you know - two more tokens and then two more after that if we’ve got our general out. I think this card rules. 
6. Fanatical Devotion (7%)
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fanatical Devotion"></div></div>
We’re going to have a lot of disposable tokens to sacrifice. We’re bound to have a few creatures worth saving from a board wipe that doesn’t have the “no regeneration” rider on it. I love love love this card. 
<hr />
<h2>Sleepers</h2>
<hr />
7. Gruesome Fate (21 decks)
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gruesome Fate"></div></div>
Do you like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harsh Sustenance" href="#" target="_blank">Harsh Sustenance</a> but want to kill all your opponents at once? Try <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gruesome Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Gruesome Fate</a>. Sure, you don’t get the life gain, but that doesn’t matter when you resolve this with 30 creatures on board.
8. Siege Zombie (0%)
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Siege Zombie"></div></div>
This was one of the black cards from Innistrad: Midnight Hunt that stood out to me. Have you ever been in a standoff against a pillow fort deck or a rivaling token swarm or a three-player game where, if someone makes a move against one player, they’ve handed the game to the one they ignored? <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Siege Zombie" href="#" target="_blank">Siege Zombie</a> has you covered. If <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghostly Prison" href="#" target="_blank">Ghostly Prison</a> is annoying, just tap the tokens to sting opponents. They don’t even need haste! <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drumbellower" href="#" target="_blank">Drumbellower</a> says hello!
9. Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet (0%)
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet"></div></div>
Look, I’m hardly the first person to say "Leave my graveyard alone!" but it’s exactly because of that fact that I think this card rules. Graveyard hate that rewards you with tokens is huge. This card has never disappointed when I’ve gotten it on board!
10. Curse of Conformity (0%)
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Curse of Conformity"></div></div>
The last one is a combo piece. For those of you who know me, you know that I like an engine. I like something that gets going after a ton of pieces are in place and things really start humming. That said, I don’t really like infinite combos, so I hesitated to include this card. The only reason I did is because this card is meant to be a really silly Curse, and Curses are usually for your opponents - but this one is different. If we Curse ourselves in a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thalisse, Reverent Medium" href="#" target="_blank">Thalisse, Reverent Medium</a> deck, it turns all our nonlegendary 1/1s into 3/3s that also for some reason lose their creature type. This is great against a tribal deck going off, I reckon. 
Enter <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Requiem Angel" href="#" target="_blank">Requiem Angel</a>, one of my pet cards. This magnificent Angel creates a 1/1 Spirit token with flying whenever another non-Spirit creature we control - token or otherwise - dies. Paired with the <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Conformity" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Conformity</a> any free sacrifice outlet gives us infinite enters- and leaves-the-battlefield triggers, not to mention whatever effect the sacrifice outlet has (do I hear a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Altar</a>?). Finish the combo off with a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Corpse Knight" href="#" target="_blank">Corpse Knight</a> or a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zulaport Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Zulaport Cutthroat</a> and we’ve won ourselves a game with a minimum of four cards. Pretty fair, right? And yes, this could all be said for <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Divine Visitation" href="#" target="_blank">Divine Visitation</a>, which sees play in nearly half of Thalisse decks, but if you’re using it as a combo piece instead of a beater generator, it’s pretty cool to pull out a card that people don’t recognize! Besides, a little redundancy in EDH ain’t a bad thing. 
Let's go to a decklist!
<hr />
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Thalisse, Challenger of Deez Stats" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Thalisse, Reverent Medium
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
*1 Corpse Knight
*1 Cruel Celebrant
*1 Elenda, the Dusk Rose
*1 Erebos, Bleak-Hearted
*1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
*1 Keeper of the Accord
*1 Krav, the Unredeemed
*1 Morbid Opportunist
*1 Nadier&#039;s Nightblade
*1 Pitiless Plunderer
*1 Regna, the Redeemer
*1 Requiem Angel
*1 Siege Zombie
*1 Smothering Abomination
*1 Sun Titan
*1 Syr Konrad, the Grim
*1 Teysa Karlov
*1 Teysa, Orzhov Scion
*1 Tymna the Weaver
*1 Undercity Scrounger
*1 Viscera Seer
*1 Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose
*1 Woe Strider
*1 Zulaport Cutthroat
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Akroma&#039;s Will
*1 Anguished Unmaking
*1 Brought Back
*1 Call the Coppercoats
*1 Despark
*1 Flawless Maneuver
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Malakir Rebirth
*1 Path to Exile
*1 Settle the Wreckage
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Gruesome Fate
*1 March of Souls
*1 Martyr&#039;s Cry
*1 Plague of Vermin
*1 Vanquish the Horde
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bastion of Remembrance
*1 Campaign of Vengeance
*1 Curse of Conformity
*1 Curse of Disturbance
*1 Dark Prophecy
*1 Etchings of the Chosen
*1 Fanatical Devotion
*1 Phyrexian Reclamation
*1 Smothering Tithe
*1 Spirit Bonds
*1 The Meathook Massacre
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Ashnod&#039;s Altar
*1 Crowded Crypt
*1 Idol of Oblivion
*1 Manascape Refractor
*1 Orzhov Signet
*1 Phyrexian Altar
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Talisman of Hierarchy
[/Artifacts]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Elspeth, Sun&#039;s Champion
*1 Liliana, Dreadhorde General
*1 Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Brightclimb Pathway
*1 Cabal Coffers
*1 Castle Ardenvale
*1 Caves of Koilos
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Command Tower
*1 Field of the Dead
*1 Godless Shrine
*1 Hall of Heliod&#039;s Generosity
*1 Isolated Chapel
*1 Kjeldoran Outpost
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*7 Plains
*1 Shattered Sanctum
*1 Snowfield Sinkhole
*5 Swamp
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*1 Vault of Champions
*1 Vault of the Archangel
*1 Volrath&#039;s Stronghold
*1 War Room
*1 Westvale Abbey
[/Lands]"></div>

<hr />
<h2>Thanks for Having Me!</h2>
What do you think about these challenges? Are there any other cards you would challenge? Let me know in the comments below! As always, you can find Jevin on twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jevinmtg">@jevinmtg</a>, but you can find me on socials <a href="http://twitter.com/mikecarrozza">@mikecarrozza</a>. Also, check out my comedy album <a href="http://www.mikecarrozza.com/cherubic-1">Cherubic</a> if you’d like!
Bug Jevin on Twitter about what you’d like to see challenged next, and be sure to check out <a href="https://commandersherald.com/am-i-the-bolas-do-you-want-fries-with-that-salt/">his article today on Commander's Herald</a>!

Mike Carrozza